Cathy Bannan Redman, whose late father, Michael Bannan, had served for several years as a Bristol selectman, thought she might have something to offer the town when concerns over the coronavirus began restricting social contact.
Richard Gowen, owner of Gowen Realty in Plymouth, was having similar thoughts. He wanted to find a way to get groceries into the hands of Plymouth’s senior citizens, and offered to coordinate a group of volunteers to see that they got the assistance.
Senior citizens, who are especially at risk if they contract COVID-19, are being urged to avoid travel as much as possible, and although most Hannaford stores and other grocery chains are offering early-morning hours for elders only, many elders have health conditions that prevent them from leaving home, or they lack transportation to get to the grocery store during those hours.
Redman, a recent retiree from a 37-year career in the insurance field, contacted Bristol Town Administrator Nik Coates to say she would be happy to help the community in any way she could. Coates told her he had already been looking for a way to bring local groups together to help residents in need. He put Redman in contact with another Bristol resident, Steve Hanser.
Hanser is the one who suggested doing grocery shopping so local elders could remain safely in their homes. Redman, with experience in organizing projects, offered to organize, coordinate, and manage the shopping service for residents of Alexandria, Bridgewater, Bristol, Danbury, Hebron, Hill, and New Hampton.
“Prior to the pandemic, each agency in the town was working in our own silos,” Coates reflected. “Not saying that’s a bad thing, just it’s a given that everyone is busy with their own areas of expertise. If there’s a silver lining to this pandemic, and there are a few, it’s that it has given us the opportunity to work more closely and in a more coordinated approach toward serving the needs of residents who need it most.
“We are very lucky to have Cathy, Steve, and the many volunteers that have been marshaled to the cause of supporting our community.”
Redman said she was able to recruit some 50 volunteers, mostly through Facebook.
Local agencies such as Bristol Community Services and the Tapply-Thompson Community Center are putting Redman in touch with senior citizens who need help with grocery shopping. She contacts the seniors to confirm that they’re willing to share their phone number with an assigned volunteer, and determines which of the volunteers is able to help that person. The volunteer then calls the elder for a grocery list and to discuss that person’s needs going forward. The senior pays for each grocery order, but the shopping and delivery are free. The volunteer and the senior will remain together as long as the service is needed.
The Bristol Police Department originally offered to make the deliveries, working with Hannaford of Bristol to have volunteers pick up and package the groceries, with assistance from store associates.
Store Manager Chris O’Leary said that, when Bristol Police Chief Jim McIntire approached him about the service, it was a natural fit for the store, and corporate headquarters said it would support whatever the local store wants to do for the community.
Coates said that, about three weeks ago, “when things started to become apparent that New Hampshire was going to be hit just like the rest of the country, the town’s department heads got together and developed an 11-point plan for handling the challenge. Two of the points were on supporting local business needs and on supporting the needs of social service agencies and clients. I had asked the police chief to find ways that the police department could get involved in those two efforts. It wasn’t much of a sell, because Jim is already locked in to the important role the department plays in supporting the community. It was a natural fit.”
However, the department found it difficult to carve out the time while handling its regular duties, so the deliveries are now done by volunteers who have completed background checks.
The volunteers shop and deliver groceries two days a week.
“Since this is new to all of us, over the past two weeks, we have tweaked the process to make it better,” Redman said on March 31. “We are continually looking for ways to streamline the process for everyone involved. My goal is to organize the deliveries by neighborhood, if possible. We’re not there yet, but hope to be soon.”
Those needing the service are asked to call the Tapply-Thompson Community Center at 603-744-2713.
“We ask that the seniors be flexible in their grocery order, as the grocery stores are doing their best to keep their shelves stocked,” Redman noted, adding, “Our tagline is ‘Bristol-Newfound Strong-IT TAKES A COMMUNITY!’”
Richard Gowen approached the Plymouth Hannaford and the Plymouth Police Department to set up a program to provide groceries to Plymouth’s elderly residents. Open to those 65 years old and up, as well as those with medical conditions that prevent them from shopping, the service utilizes a group of local volunteers. While Gowen Realty is coordinating the volunteers, orders are placed through the Plymouth Police Department.
Deputy Police Chief Alexander Hutchins said, “We don’t want the community to think they’re going to be scammed, so we wanted to be involved, but Gowan Realty is really the one driving this.”
To place a grocery order, people must contact Vicki Moore at 603-536-1804, ext. 106, or email [email protected]; or Eden Lefebvre, 603-536-1804, ext. 107, [email protected]. If emailing an order, they must provide an address and phone number to confirm.
Volunteers will then take the orders to Plymouth Hannaford, purchasing the items that are in stock. A cashier will print a receipt with the amount owed, and the volunteers will take it to the client, collecting the payment by check or credit card. The volunteer then returns to the store to pay for and pick up the order, bringing it back to the senior.
The preferred delivery times are Tuesdays and Thursdays between 8 a.m. and noon, but they allow exceptions.
Beyond the Newfound and Plymouth areas, there is a Shopping for Seniors program serving the greater Laconia and greater Concord areas through a partnership between the Community Action Program of Belknap-Merrimack Counties Inc. and the Friends Programs Inc. Under the program, elders place shopping lists, along with cash or store gift cards, in envelopes with their names on them with CAP’s Rural Transportation Service bus drivers who deliver them to volunteers at the chosen stores. The volunteers do the shopping, placing the gift cards or any change back in the envelopes, and bring them back to the waiting bus. The drivers then deliver the goods.
